6.2% hike?

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, January 6, 2005

The school board's Operations Subcommittee learned Tuesday it would require a 6.2 percent increase, an additional $3 million, to maintain current programs with nothing new added - a status quo budget proposal.

Fellow member
Bob Coppola
said the school board will have to come up with "a reasonable percentage that will be accepted by the public."

Last year, when school officials presented what they termed a status quo budget, Mayor
Pat Murphy
recommended a $2.1 million cut in the request, and the proposal was ultimately reduced by $1.42 million.

This year's projected 6.2 percent increase does not include the cost of busing or nursing services the town is required to provide for students in town who attend the

Faith Church
school under construction along Route 7 at the Brookfield town line.

Increased contractual and fixed expenses, which are 95 percent of the school budget, are driving the increase, according to
Rich Calcavecchio
, the director of fiscal services.

Transportation, utilities, benefit costs and other contracted services are all up by double-digit percentages.

Interim Superintendent
JeanAnn Paddyfote
said the reality of the situation is that many of the requests the board has heard in recent weeks, including on Tuesday night, "won't make my budget request."

Last month, school principals outlined their needs as administrators tried to lay a foundation for school budget hearings, which will begin Jan. 18. Dr. Paddyfote expects her budget request will be ready next Friday.

On Tuesday, the board heard from central office administrators about the system's needs for technology, facilities, special education and curriculum and staff development.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation costs are going up 20 percent. In addition,
Tom Corbett
, the school system's director of operations, told the board that excess time charges are affecting the current budget as much as $200,000.

He said the school system is getting "some significant extra time charges" for excess hours on bus runs.

According to Mr. Corbett, the bus contract allows a five-hour window for runs to be completed, and this year if a run is minutes over that window, the school system faces charges.

Mr. Corbett, who has been with New Milford schools for three decades, said the school system pushed the bus company to comply on insurance matters and the bus company "is nickel and diming everything. It's the first time in my experience it's been an issue."

"It's not adversarial, but everything is being watched," he commented.

Board member
Tom McSherry
suggested that school officials look at extra buses to reduce the additional time charges.

Fellow member
Robin Ruggiero
noted that some buses are half-empty, particularly at the high school, and said busing needs should be reassessed.

TECHNOLOGY

David Elmore
, the district's technology director, said the system's computer network "is starting to show its age."

He's asking for the reinstatement of an elementary school tech and to replace 160 of the system's 1,000 computers.

Mr. Elmore said his goal is meeting basic needs, "not blue sky technology," and noted the town is starting to fall behind in the ratio of the number of students per computer.

He said the state wants to do online testing in the future, and he said there is a question of whether the system's infrastructure would support the state testing.

Board members asked Mr. Elmore to provide data on processor speeds and memory capacity for current computers, and to look into lease versus purchase costs.

Assistant Superintendent
Tom Mulvihill
said curriculum goals are being met with the current technology, but he said those goals may need to be upgraded.

Mr. Elmore said a mobile laptop lab would benefit the scheduling of computer time.

Phone systems in the three elementary schools and at the middle school also need updating. The most recent estimate to revamp the
Schaghticoke Middle School
phone system was $47,000.

FACILITIES

John Calhoun
, the director of facilities, said there would be an increase in utility costs, but otherwise his department would have an overall zero increase in its operating budget request. He said money has been shifted to provide more funds for grounds repairs and equipment maintenance.

"We continue to try to come up with new ways to save money," Mr. Calhoun said.

He said he has some new capital requests for a truck, custodial equipment and repairs to the playground at
Northville Elementary School
, where he said cracked asphalt is becoming a safety issue.

Mr. Calhoun said library carpeting in the three elementary schools is also a safety issue and needs replacement.

Additionally, he told subcommittee members, the new high school, which opened in 2000, has some repair needs.

Mr. Scozzafava said the system can't continue to delay maintenance.

"We've got to start getting control of things that are starting to wear out," he said, remarking that avoiding maintenance results in greater costs in the long run.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Adele Johnson
, the special education supervisor for New Milford schools, said special education requests are based on the specific needs of the students.

Ms. Johnson said they are expecting an additional hearing impaired child in the system and will need a second full-time sign interpreter.

There are also some preschoolers who will be coming in to the system with special needs.

Two FM systems to help teachers communicate with special education students will cost a total of $5,000, and new equipment to assist a child to stand will cost $1,000.

Special education law requires the school system to meet the educational needs of students in the least restrictive environment. Ms. Johnson said the system needs to provide the student with the support needed to be able to access the general curriculum.

CURRICULUM, TESTING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Assistant Superintendent Mulvihill said he expects this portion of the budget request to be flat or a little less than the current budget.

However, he noted that the town needs to revise its science curriculum to bring it into line with changes at the state level. The revisions would include new supplies and new grade six texts. The state plans to begin science testing in the 2007-08 school year.

The system also plans to pilot new math programs, and to use grants to provide in-service training for staff.

There will be some expense associated with spring testing in the 2005-06 school year for student in grades 3-8 and also grade 10 and to meet recommendations as a result of the recent high school accreditation report.